WWE2K review: 2K22 does, in fact, 'hit different'
By Ryan Satin
FOX Sports WWE Analyst
The advertising campaign for WWE2K22 confidently claims that 2K's latest video game offering "hits different."
Thankfully, it’s the truth.
It has been more than two years since WWE released a new video game. Following a catastrophic release of WWE2K20 back in 2019, the development team agreed to delay the release of another until its many issues could be addressed and a better, final product could be presented in their next outing.
Fast-forward 870 days, and here we are, with Friday’s official launch of WWE2K22.
The big question remained, though: Is the new game ACTUALLY better?
Well, after playing an advanced copy over the past week, I’m happy to report that the answer is yes. This year’s game features advanced gameplay, significantly improved graphics, addictive game modes and an awesome new feature for created wrestlers.
Let’s start with the gameplay.
To be honest, I didn’t have any issues with the way it was before. The strong and weak grapple/hit system has been part of my life since the days of Nintendo 64, and I’ve never had trouble embracing it.
This year, however, the controls are a bit different, and (much to my surprise) they seem to elevate the gameplay, rather than hindering the experience.
First, many have been simplified to help the match flow better. Movements such as entering/exiting the ring, springboarding off the ropes and setting up tables all are easier to accomplish, allowing new players to pick up the game more easily.
Plus, by removing the reversal limit and adding dodge/block, the match becomes more about in-ring action than draining your opponent of their reversals and beating them as much as possible while they’re rendered helpless.
This helps the game feel less challenging for new players while giving new advanced options to longtime players, making for a better overall experience.
The improved graphics are on display during matches as well, but Superstar entrances are where they really impress.
I’ve been religiously playing wrestling video games since "WCW vs. nWo: World Tour," and this is the best that entrances have ever looked in a game. It’s a huge upgrade. The new lighting makes Superstars and title belts glisten on-screen in an incredibly realistic manner.
Unfortunately, because of this, there is one downside pertaining to the creation suite.
One of my favorite creation features in WWE2K has been the entrance design. Giving wrestlers the most accurate entrances by mashing up preloaded poses with tons of pyro is one of my favorite pastimes.
This year, however, the advanced creation system has been removed.
This forces you to choose from generic entrances mostly used by other characters in the game, which was disappointing and felt like a step backward. Personally, I was hoping for MORE advanced tools, not fewer.
With the loss of one creation tool, though, 2K at least gave birth to another great feature: the ability to upload custom renders for the matchup screen.
As someone who fills every single save slot with created Superstars, this is a game-changer. Seeing a real photo on the versus screen beside Superstars you’re playing against makes it feel as though the person you’re using came with the game.
Whether it’s you, your family/friends, wrestlers from another promotion, movie characters or celebrities, you have the power to upload their photo as if they came preloaded in the game, and that's incredibly fun.
Here’s an example of the first one I made:
Lastly, there are two addictive new game modes this year.
There’s MyGM: Which allows you to run a WWE brand as the general manager, booking the matches and dealing with talent while battling for brand supremacy against one of the competing shows.
I’m a nerd for text-based wrestling games, so it’s embarrassing to admit how hooked on this I’ve been. Learning how to draft successfully, budget my money and put on shows that bring in the most money possible has caused me to lose track of time and play until 3 a.m. some nights. So far, this is my favorite part of the game.
There’s also MyFaction mode, which I didn’t get to spend time playing, but it appears to be similar to WWE Supercard (which is wildly popular on mobile).
From what I’m told by friends who’ve played this mode, much like my experience with MyGM, it’s incredibly addictive once you start to build a team.
Showcase Mode and MyRise (which is your typical career mode) have made a return in this year’s game as well, and both are fun in their usual ways. I particularly liked the Choose Your Own Adventure-like gameplay in MyRise, which allows you to make decisions that form how your character will be viewed on TV.
My character started as an actor before joining the PC and doesn’t have a lot of respect for the business, so it has been funny to watch his story play out.
In closing, I will admit that I encountered a few glitches while playing the game.
Thankfully, however, they were few and far between and nowhere near as game-ruining as the ones that plagued WWE2K20. I’ve seen additional glitches shared on social media and heard of other issues from gamers, but I’m hopeful these will be handled in the coming weeks, and we’ll finally have an issue-free WWE game.
FINAL RATING: B+
Ryan Satin is a WWE analyst for FOX Sports. Satin previously appeared on FS1's "WWE Backstage" and founded Pro Wrestling Sheet, where he broke countless news stories as editor-in-chief.
